1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plant operation control system, and more specifically to a plant operation control system which can control both producing products and trading electricity cooperatively in various plants provided with a local electric power generating function.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In various industrial plants, such as petroleum refining, petrochemical, iron and steel, cement, paper and pulp, and the like, a large quantity of energy, such as combustible byproducts, steam, heat, and the like, is produced with surplus energy being occasionally discharged to the outside of the plant. One effective method of utilizing the surplus energy is to convert it into electric energy using a private electric power generator so that the generated electric power can be consumed in the plant.
In the various plants, however, since the plant is operated in accordance with a production planning schedule, the energy required for plant production fluctuates according to time. In other words, since the required energy increases or decreases at times determined by the production cycle, a great quantity of surplus energy is inevitably produced temporarily due to the above-mentioned energy demand fluctuations, thus causing a problem in that the plant production cost increases and the plant operation efficiency decreases.
On the other hand, in each electric power company, the power demand fluctuates in a cycle of 24 hours, one week, or one year, and a great amount of labor and energy loss result from attempting to control the electric generating machines and the power systems so as to follow the fluctuations of electric power demand.
Accordingly, if the salable electric energy converted from surplus energy of the various industrial plants can be increased in accordance with the fluctuation of the electric power demand cycle, it is possible to increase the efficiency of electric power production so as to contribute to the protection of the environment.